Quattro Bambini Pizzeria — Restaurant in Area C (Cobble Hill)

I’ve been a loyal customer of Quattro Bambini (formerly Prima Strada) for a long time, often raving about their delicious pizzas and welcoming atmosphere. Often a spot to order pizzas for the lake days and family get togethers. However, my recent visit left me utterly disappointed, and I feel compelled to share my experience.

Upon arrival, I ordered a simple kids' pasta with just cheese and butter for my 19-month-old. The pasta arrived within seven minutes, but it was a sad representation of dry noodles with a tiny sprinkling of cheese. This should have been my first clue not to continue with my order. We then ordered the penne alla pollo, meatballs, and a pizza. The food arrived again very quickly—too quickly. The pasta resembled an airline dish, with cold, chewy noodles and what appeared to be shredded, cold chicken. It was clearly reheated, with a small dollop of cold sauce in the center. We immediately sent the pasta back due to its lack of quality and temperature and ordered a pizza instead.

Next, we tried the meatballs, which were ice cold in the center. After that, we informed the server that we were no longer interested in the replacement pizza. When we finally tried the pizza, which is usually a fail-safe, the crust was soggy and the dough was still stretchy. We demonstrated this to the server, who was as shocked as we were. The crust was a shadow of its former self—soggy and flavorless instead of the crispy, golden perfection I once knew. The sauce, once a tangy delight, tasted bland and watery, lacking the depth and richness I had come to expect. The cheese was rubbery and barely melted, giving the entire pizza an unappetizing texture.

To make matters worse, the service was noticeably off. The kitchen staff seemed overwhelmed and inattentive, contributing to the overall negative experience. Which was shocking considering there was only one other table present in the restaurant. The most appalling part of our evening was when the server announced to the kitchen that we no longer wanted our replacement pizza - to which the kitchen staff stated loudly “OMG are you serious?”, which we found embarrassing and unprofessional considering it is an open kitchen. It’s disappointing to see an establishment that once prided itself on quality and service fall so far. On a positive note, the server was gracious and removed the items from our bill. Considering the quality this establishment used to have, we didn’t mind spending upwards of $25 dollars per pizza. But this was no longer the case, we would’ve been better off stopping at country grocer for a frozen pizza.

After spending the entire evening and next morning with upset stomachs we came to the decision that after years of enjoying this place, it’s hard to say goodbye, but I can no longer recommend it. I hope they can return to their former glory, but for now, I’ll be looking for a new go-to...

The last time I was here was 2019, right before the pandemic. I was worried that when it all cooled down, this place would close, but luckily, it's still just as popular as it was then.

I went with a party of 8, though I was the first to get there. We sat almost immediately. A small line was there before we showed up. But the waitress took us to our table and gave us some pitchers of water.

The interior hadn't changed too much, aside from the gelato display being gone and the addition of frozen food. Once seated, I looked at the menu, which, luckily, had little to no changes. Although they did add some pasta and removed the meatball sandwich.

We ordered some appies (salad, olives and meatballs. Also, I forgot to get images of them). I don't like olives, so I didn't get to try it. The salad tasted exactly how I remember, a slight acidity mixed with some sweetness paired well and was delicious. We got 4 meatballs, per order, and they came with 4 slices of bread, and them too tasted absolutely delicious. The meat tasted fresh, and the red sauce it sat in was perfectly balanced.

I ordered a calzone for my main. It was my go-to before the pandemic. I was worried it wouldn't taste like it used to, but the salad and meatballs helped ease my worry. My calzone, once it arrived, was a pretty good size. Topped with freshly grated cheese, it was a perfect brown.

The crust was a little too tough to cut into with my butter knife, indicating that the dough was fresh and chewy, just how I like it. The calzone is filled with turkey, spinach, roasted garlic, and mozzarella. You might think it needs sauce, but believe me, it doesn't. It was so full of flavor that you shouldn't bother asking to add any.

Overall, the food was just as good as I remember. The atmosphere is still just as inviting as it always has been. I can't recommend this place enough. It's definitely...

Ordered takeout via the website at 6pm and was told it would be ready at 7pm on the Sunday of the August long weekend. We got there about ten min before and were told by the manager the 4 pizzas weren’t ready and it would be another twenty minutes. The place wasn’t that busy so we went and busied ourself for 20 min. At this point an hour and a half of waiting. We got back and the manager hung around for another 5 min and then left. We didn’t see her again.

We then proceeded to wait a total of 2 hours for our pizza, picking them up just after 8pm.

By the time we picked up our pizza, there were still multiple people sitting at the restaurant waiting for their pizza (and complaining). While this was going on, the staff were then asking around to each other if they wanted to share in a “staff meal”. They didn’t even have their clients served. The hostess also was telling guests that it was so busy because they had sold out of all their food pretty much? We were one of three takeout orders who waited 2 hours also. They basically totally forgot about and ignored the takeout prepaid orders.

I would have been more tolerant if they managed expectations better. Wood fired pizza never ever has taken that long, so two hours for takeout was ridiculous.

The pizza itself was good, but not...